Carton locking apparatus



June 14, 1960 F. c. (moss CARTON LOCKING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 10, 1958 Ag mm m N Emma June 14, 1960 F. c. GROSS CARTON LOCKING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 10, 1958 INVENTOR. Frank C. Brass ATTOENIYS June 14, 1960 F. c. GROSS cmon LOCKING APPARATUS 3 Sheets- Sheet 3 Filtd Jan. 10, 1958 INVENTOR.

IEmnk l3- Ernas BY W H m Hmn United States Patent The present invention relates to apparatus for inserting locking tabs into the slotted side wall of a carton or the like.

One object of the invention isv to provide an automatic tab inserting device which gives greater rates of operation and greater reliability than have been hitherto obtainable in a practical commercial manner.

Another dbject of the invention is to accomplish the above ends in a simple and economical manner.

Other related objects, as well as the various novel features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the disclosure found in the accompanying drawings and the particular novelty thereof pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of apparatus embodying the present invention with certain frame supporting members broken away or omitted;

Fig. 2 is a-plan view of the apparatus seen in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section, on an enlarged scale, taken on line III-III in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section taken substantially on line IV--IV in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of certain elements seen in Fig. 3, with portions thereof broken away, showing different operating positions;

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line VI-VI in Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a section, similar to that of Fig. 6, showing a different operative relation of various elements;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a carton having a looking tab to be inserted by the apparatus of the present invention.

The apparatus of the present invention is intended primarily for use in association with other apparatus which automatically closes a carton after it has been filled with whatever article or articles it is to contain. Such ap paratus would normally be located to the right of or on the infeed side of what is illustrated in Fig. 1.

One type of carton c which may be advantageously locked by the apparatus of the present invention is seen in Fig. 8. While it is of no importance to the present invention, it will be recognized that this carton is of the type commonly employed in packaging wax paper, and other rolls of sheet or film material. It is contemplated that a roll of wax paper willbe placed in the carton c and the top of the carton closed, preferably by automatic means, before being presented to the present apparatus. This condition is shown in Fig. 8 where the top is closed with a locking tab t extending beyond one side wall of the carton and with the side wall being slotted at s, to receive the tab t. It will be seen that the slot s is not open but is filled by a tongue of side wall material which is perforated at p for later removal by the user of the carton.

Cartons c are advanced (Fig. 1) towards the present apparatus along a pair of rails 20 in the direction indicated by the arrows. This advancing action is furnished by chain 22 disposed between the guide rails 20 and carrying upstanding lugs 24 (see also Figs. 2 and 3). The

"ice upper run of chain 22 is supported by a bar 25 which extends to the apparatus for closing the carton to'ps (not shown). The chain 22 likewise extends to this closing apparatus where it is driven by appropriate means, the other end of chain 22 is trained around a sprocket 26 at the exit side of the present apparatus. The sprocket 26 is secured to a shaft 28 which is appropriately journaled on side frame members (not shown). Also secured to the shaft 28 is a second sprocket 30 around which is trained a chain 32 which in turn extends around a sprocket 34 secured to a shaft '36 which is likewise journaled on side frame members which are not shown. A further sprocket 38 is secured to the shaft 36 with chain 40 driving a shaft 42 through a sprocket 44. Again the la shaft 42 is iournaled on the side frame members which are not shown. Also mounted on the shaft 42 are a pair of conjugate earns 46 and 48 which respectively engage followers 50 and 52. Followers 50 and 52 are carried on an L-shaped lever 54 which is generally U-shaped in cross-section. The L-shaped lever 54 is pivotally mounted about a fixed shaft 56, with a pair of links 58, connecting the upper end of the lever 54 to a block 60 which is secured to an angularly dispo'sed rod 62. The rod 62 is slidably mounted on a pair of blocks 64 and 66 which are secured to a pair of spaced rails 68 and 70 disposed on the same angle as the rod 62. Theupper or infeed ends of the rails 68 and 70 are secured to and supported by a fixed frame member 72 (Fig. 2) while their other ends are secured to and supported by a further fixed frame member 74.

A carrier 76 is secured to the rod 62 intermediate the blo'cks 64 and 66 by a pinch binder 78. The carrier 76 is generally of a U-shaped form with a combined locking tab forming and inserting member 80 secured to the upper leg thereof by screws 82. A pair of rollers 84 and 86 (Fig. 3) are rotatably mounted on the carrier 76 and on axes normal to that of the rod 62 and respectively bear against the rails 68 and 70. The mountings for rolls 84 and 86 may include eccentrics to insure their firm engagement with the rails 68 and 70. Thus, when to and fro movement is imparted to the rod 62 through the lever 54 and cams 46 and 48, the folding and inserting member 80 will advance with each carton and at the same time descend to fold and insert the locking tab in a man- 5 ner more fully described hereinafter. The rolls 84 and mounted on the central portion of a pin 96 which extends through the rod 94. The outer ends of the pin 96 are eccentrically formed on a reduced diameter and carry ball bearings 98 which are axially fixed by locking collars 100. One end of the pin 96 is provided go with a slot as at 102 to facilitate turning of the eccentric portions thereof to bring the ball bearings 98 into free rolling contact with the inner surface of the carrier 76. When properly adjusted, a set screw 104 is tightened against the central diameter of the pin 96,

55 thus preventing any rotative movement of the pin 88 about the axis of the rod 94 and at the same time assuring a free sliding movement of the carrier 76 with re-- spect to the rod 94 for purposes which will further appear.

As has been mentioned, the carrier 76 moves along a downwardly inclined path when moving in the direction in which the packages are advanced. The rod 94 has no downward component as its horizontal position is held constant by a roller 112 riding on a fixed horizontal rail 114. A saddle 115 is attached to the lower end of rod 94 and provides mounting means for a roll 117 which rides on the lower side of rail 114 to prevent vertical movement of the rod 94. The relative vertical position of pin 88 is controlled by a roller 106. The roller 106 rides on a cam rail 110 with a spring 116 (Fig. 3) extending between the end of shaft 90 and the pivot pin or roller 112 maintaining the roller 106 in firm engagement with the cam rail 110.

One end of the cam rail 110 is secured to the block 64 by a screw 118 (Fig. 2) which passes through a spacing collar 119. The other end of the rail 110 is secured to a block 122 by a screw 120. The block 122 is in turn secured to a fixed cross-frame member 124 by screws 126. It will be noted (Fig. 1) that the cam rail 110 is slotted to receive the screws 118 and 120 and thereby provide for longitudinal adjustment of said cam rail for reasons which further appear. The rail 114 is fixed at one end to the block 64 by screws 128 (Fig. l) and at its other end by a screw 130 to the lower surface of the cross member 124.

As the cartons are advanced by the conveyor lugs 24 their transverse position is accurately controlled by channel-forming means comprising at one side an angular piece 132 which is secured by screws 134 to a fixed frame member 136 and'at the other side by an angle member 138 which is secured by screws 140 to a fixed frame member 142. The angle piece 138 ahd frame member 142 are recessed at 146 to provide clearance for the spring 116 through the length of the locking 1 l) with the exit side of the recess terminating in a plowlike extension 150 (Fig.

The operation of the above-described apparatus may be briefly summarized as follows. As cartons are ad- .vanced to the locking station 144, the locking tabs t extend beyond the slotted side wall of the carton as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4. Since all elements of the de- 'vice are driven from a common source, as the chain 22, when the carton reaches a point in the locking station 144 where the tab 1 is just coming to the infeed side of the locking station, the forming and inserting member 80 will be in the position seen in Fig. 1. At the same time, pin 88 will be disposed immediately therebeneath in-the manner indicated in Fig. 3. The cams 46 and 48 are arranged to advance the carrier 76 with a component of motion in a longitudinal direction equalling the rate of movement of the carton. Thus the member 80 will at all times overlie the tab I. However, as the carrier 76 moves towards the exit side of the inserting station, it will also have a downward component of motion.

It will now be noted that the lower portion of the member 80 has legs 152 which serve as an outside former and engage the ends of the tab t to fold same generally into a U shape over the top end of the pin or inside former 88. This action is progressively illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. The folding or bending action con tinues until the opposite ends of the tab 1 are spaced apart a distance somewhat less than the longitudinal length of the slot s in the side wall of the carton. By that time, the carrier 76 will be advanced to a point where the roll 106 reaches a sharp drop off at 154 (Fig.

' l) in the cam rail 110. whereupon the pin 88 will be swung by spring 116 to the position illustrated in Fig. 5. At approximately the same time a sloping surface at 156 on the member 80 will engage the upper surface of the tab 1 and upon continued downward movement thereof will initially force the bowed ends of the tab 1 into the slot s. Continued movement of the member top or lid in a closed position.

will bring its upper face 158 into engagement with the tab t to complete insertion thereof. Although the resiliency of fiber board of which such cartons are normally made is relatively small, it is sufficient to cause the ends of the tab t to expand and engage the inner surface of the side wall of the carton adjacent each end of the slot s (see Fig. ,l) and thereby lock the carton When the member 80 reaches the exit side of the locking station 144, its direction of travel is reversed and during this reversal the face 158 wipes or irons the tab t flat to insure its being fully locked in the slot s. The locked tab t is then picked up and again wiped flat by the plow-like member 150 as the carton is advanced beyond the exit end of the locking station 144.

The cams 46 and 48 then return the carrier 76 to its original position illustrated in Fig. 1 in suflicient time for the member 80 to again move in the same relation to the next succeeding carton and insert the tab thereof in the fashion just described.

As was pointed out above, the cam rail is slotted to enable it to be adjusted longitudinally. This enables the drop off 154 to be accurately positioned so that the pin 88 will fall away from the member 80 at exactly the right instant to assure proper insertion of the tab r.

Having thus described my invention what is claimed as novel and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States are:

1. Apparatus for locking cartons, comprising means for continuously advancing each carton past a locking station with its lid in closed position and a locking tab extending therefrom beyond a slotted side wall of the carton, a combined outside former and tab inserter having a pair of depending legs and a face lying in a plane adjacent flrat of said slotted side wall, said outside former and inserter being mounted for movement along a path which is angularly disposed to that of the carton in a direction downwardly from the infeed side of the locking station, an inside former disposed between the legs of said outside former, said outside former being spaced above the inside former at the infeed side of the locking station to receive said tab therebetween, means for moving the inside former in the same direction and at the same rate as the carton with the tab maintained thereabove, means for moving the outside former along its inclined path of movement at the same longitudinal rate as that of the carton thus bringing the former legs into interdigital relation with the inside former to bend the tab into U-shape, means for thereafter lowering said inside former as the outside former continues its downward movement and the said adjacent face thereof forces the tab into the slot in said side wall.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the combined outside former and inserter is moved in a reverse direction upon reaching the exit side of the locking station to cause the said adjacent face thereof to wipe the inserted tab flat to insure its being securely locked in the slotted side wall of the carton.

3. Apparatus as in, claim 1 wherein a carrier is provided for said outside former and inserter, said carrier is mounted for reciprocable movement along said inclined path and also a vertically disposed rod is slidably mounted on said carrier with means being provided for maintaining said rod in a given horizontal position as it moves with said carrier, said inside former being pivotably mounted on said rod for swinging movement towards and away from said outside former.

4. Apparatus as in claim 2wherein a cam rail is provided to control the position of said inside former, said cam rail having a straight horizontal portion throughout that part of its length required for the tab to be formed into the said U-shape and having a drop off adjacent the exit end of the locking station to provide the means for lowering the inside former as the tab is inserted into the slotted side wall of the carton.

5. Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein an angularly disposed shaft carries said carrier, guide rails are provided above and below said shaft and rollers are mounted on said carrier to engage said guide rails to prevent rotative movement of the carrier.

6. Apparatus as in claim 3 wherein the inside former is carried by a bifurcated member which is pivotably received by a pin extending through said rod and rollers 10 are provided at either end of said pin to engage a ver tical surface on said carrier and thereby prevent rotative movement of said rod.

2,660,012 Boyce et al. Nov. 24, 1953 2,844,930 Nelson July 29, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 780,452 Great Britain July 31, 1957 

